(3-309-1277) The University of Maryland is recruiting for a tenure-track physician, scientist or physician-scientist with expertise in real world data and novel clinical trial design/execution with particular emphasis on oncology sciences to serve in the role of Director of Cancer Research in the Center for Real World Data/Adaptive Clinical Trials at the University of Maryland-Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) and Assistant Director for Learning Health System and Pragmatic Oncology Research at the UM Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC).
The UM-IHC is a large-scale initiative focusing on computational and analytical methods to build a learning health system for improving the quality of life and longevity of the citizens of Maryland. The UM-IHC, located in North Bethesda, MD, is a collaborative effort of the University of Maryland Baltimore, the University of Maryland College Park, and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), funded with initial grants from the State of Maryland’s MPower initiative and Montgomery County, MD. A major focus of the Institute is to advance the utilization and clinical relevance of real-world clinical data, which is based on the supposition that little information is available at present to guide the management of patients outside the highly structured environment that defines traditional clinical trials. By decentralizing clinical research, participation in the clinical research enterprise among under-represented and underserved communities can be amplified, thereby generating data on health and human disease that is representative of the various communities at hand.
Faculty applying should be experienced in clinical research with allied expertise in real world evidence, novel clinical trial design (such as adaptive and pragmatic studies), and a deep understanding of one or more clinical domains. They should have experience leading a research program with a record of accomplishment in securing independent extramural funding and publishing senior author manuscripts. Qualified candidates are researchers who are already exploring how data science can be merged with clinical trial methodologies in the context of a multi-site health system to facilitate large-scale trials. The successful candidate will be expected to supervise and mentor staff and fellows within the UM-IHC and may provide clinical service in their selected field.
The role of Director of Cancer Research in the Center for Real World Data/Adaptive Clinical Trials will emphasize three elements:

A. Team building that includes:

• Existing UM-IHC members specializing in population health, community health, and clinical content
• Existing UM-IHC data analysts and database engineers with direct access to the UMMS database and unique expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, bioinformatics, and biostatistics
• Highly qualified external candidates that will fortify a multi-disciplinary team that includes nursing sciences, clinical trial statistical sciences, and other allied roles

B. Infrastructure expansion:

• Lead a team-based strategic plan that leverages the UMMS clinical operations infrastructure to develop a nimble, dynamic, and high-capacity platform for real-world data capture and pragmatic clinical trial implementation in cancer research.
• Work with innovative computational scientists and clinicians to anticipate the next era of decentralized cancer research, and build a forward-thinking strategy that enables the Center to capitalize on pioneering innovation
• Contemplate and develop partnerships with FDA in the planning phase of cancer pragmatic trials to maximize the potential relevance of our results on governmental policy and/or clinical practice
• Expand existing and develop new partnerships between the University of Maryland and Community Leaders in West Baltimore and other regions of Maryland to maximize participation among community members.

C. Completion of Adaptive/Pragmatic Clinical Research

• Oversee the successful completion of clinical trials in cancer research, programmed through the Electronic Health Record, which use novel designs and approaches that advance topics across the medical spectrum.
• Prioritize research opportunities that emerge from GCCC and from within the UM-IHC itself.
• Partner with community leaders in West Baltimore and other regions for disseminating research findings to community members
• Leverage emergent data and innovation to win extramural funding and new public-private partnerships involving UM-IHC, respectively.

• Designated leader of the UMGCCC Program in Big Data and Real-World Evidence reporting to the Cancer Center Director through the supervising Associate Director for Quantitative Science
• Serves as the oncology Czar within IHC providing the key link between UMGCCC members and the IHC community and technology ecosystem
• Facilitate UMGCCC research projects through IHC by linking project team with the necessary IHC expertise and to identify data science and computational platforms required for successful execution of the projects
• Lead initiatives around the creation of a robust data management system for UMGCCC leading to a searchable and accessible Data Commons that combines available data through the UMGCCC Clinical Informatics Shared Resource with its basic, clinical and population research data to propel UMGCCC research and discovery to improve patient outcome in the catchment area
• Guide the development of a Real-World Evidence program at UMGCCC through the strategic acquisition and deployment of data (electronic health records information about SDH, clinical, lab, and imaging datasets), technology (computing, analytic and storage platforms) and expertise (UMGCCC faculty, UMSOM, UMMC, UMMS and partners across the USM campuses)
• Create collaboration with pharma and regulatory agencies that enable unique population of cancer patients treated at UMGCCC to guide therapeutic advances that address the needs of cancer patients from URM background relevant to our catchment area
• Expected faculty rank for these positions will be Assistant Professor or higher, however, final rank, tenure status and salary will be commensurate with selected candidate’s qualifications and experience